With its glacial lakes, gorges and steep peaks, the Lurë-Mali i Dejës National Park is a perfect example of the diversity of Albanian nature. Due to poor accessibility, the area is little visited, but a new road connecting the regions of Mirditë and Dibër is set to change this. Access to a portion of the park is also possible from the Mat region.
At an elevation of 1,400 to 1,700 metres, there are a total of 14 glacier lakes. Each of them has a slightly different feel, which adds to their attractiveness; some are lined with woods of pine and beech, others with steep cliffs, while others dry up in the summer.
Large portions of the park were cleared of trees due to illicit logging that has occurred since the 1990s. Fires, bark beetles, and other pests devastated other forest areas. Currently, efforts are being made to restore the original forests.
The Albanian government has decided to support the protection of the local nature by significantly expanding the area of the national park in 2018. The original Lura NP and Zall Gjoçaj NP were merged, and the newly created Lurë-Mali i Dejës Park was expanded to include additional peripheral areas. It is now one of the largest in Albania.
The ideal starting point for getting to the lakes is the village of Lura e Vjetër (Old Lura), where there is a possibility of staying in guesthouses. The journey to the Great Lake (Liqeni i Madh), which is the largest within the park, takes about two hours on foot from here. It can also be done by off-road vehicle.
From the Great Lake you can climb the dominant feature of this part of the national park: the 2119-metre-high Kunora e Lurës (Crown of Lura, route here). Following a more or less contour path southwards (8 km), there are two Flower Lakes (Liqenet e Luleve), which are all covered in white and yellow flowering water lilies and strawflowers, with huge dragonflies flying over them.
Probably the most beautiful is Lake Hot (Liqeni i Hotit) in between, which also has a nice camping site nearby.
There is a minibus to Lura once a day from Rrëshen. If you take this route here on your own, it’s best to have a car suitable for off-road use. You can also get here from the east from Peshkopia (route here) or from the north – Kukës (route here), but in both cases an off-road car is absolutely necessary. The Perlat-Lura-Arras asphalt road is due to be completed soon, connecting the previously isolated regions of Mirditë and Dibër.
From the south, the best starting point into the national park is Macukull. Numerous fortified towers (kulla), so typical of the region Mat, define this mountain settlement. This is a stunning corner of Albania completely untouched by tourism. From here you can climb the highest mountain in the park, Deja Peak (Mali i Dejës, 2246 m, route here). From Burrel it’s less than 30 kilometres to the village, the last 8 kilometres are unpaved and 4×4 car is needed.
A place with an amazing genius loci in the western part of the park is the settlement of Kroi i Bardhë, famous for its healing spring. From here you can hike to the nearby canyon or the Kunora e Lurës mountain. From the Perlat-Lura road, there is a 10-kilometre-long spur road that is only suitable for off-road vehicles.
There is also a possibility to approach the lakes from the east, i.e. Dibër region. Start in the village of Çidhën and go through the adventurous Seta Gorge.
You can download a map of the Lura Lakes with descriptions of the routes and individual places here.
Useful Links
Accommodation
Use Booking.com to find the best places to stay in Lura National Park.
Flights
Find the cheapest flight to Albania on Kiwi.com. It combines various airlines into a single itinerary.
Car Rental
Discover Albania with cheap & reliable car rentals through Rent from Locals.
Mobile data
Airalo provides affordable and convenient mobile data to keep you connected wherever you travel. Forget local SIM or roaming charges.